Shaft for golf clubs and the like



NOV. l1, 1930. R, A UNK ET AL I 1,781,116 v SI-AlWI FOR GOLF CLUBS AND THE LIKE Filed May l, 1929 Patented Nov. 11, 1930 UNITED STATES RICHARD A. LINK PATENT OFI-Ica AND CONRAD F. HABDERS, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNORS TO L. A. YOUNG COMPANY, 'VOF DETROIT, MICHIGAN suur non GOLF cLUBs vam) .THE LIKE Application inea my 1, 1929. serial No. 359,500.

In the manufacture of wooden shafts forv golf clubs it is the common practice to bell and shoulder the shaft so that the shaft merges or has the appearance of mergzngrinto the shank of the club. This is done for the purpose of appearance and also to secure the desired bell in the club.

One of the decided disadvantages or ob]ec tions to steel-shaft clubs, particularly as applied to metal heads, is that the club does not have the appearance and -it is very diicult if not impossible to secure the balance or feelwhich can be with a wooden shaft. A

Our present invention is an adaptation of and in some respects an improvement upon the structure of our application for Letters Patent filed November 17,21928, Serial No. 220,108. A

It is the main object of this invention to provide a golf club having a steel shaft which closely simulates the wooden shaft clubs in apgearance and has the desired balance.

bj ects pertaining to details and economies of our invention will definitely appear from the description to follow. The invention is defined in the claims.

The preferred embodiment of our invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanyingrdrawing, in which :y

ig. 1 is a perspective view of a golf club having an iron head embodying the featuresv of our invention, portions of theshaftbeing broken away.

F ig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentaryview partially in longitudinal section. l

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal section illustrating one of the steps of one method' of manufacturing our improvedclub, In the accompanying drawing we have illustrated our improvements in one form in which we have embodied the same in practice,

in which the iron club head 1 is provided with a downwardly tapered integral shank 2 having a socket 3 therein. The shaft 4 is of tubular steel, thewalls of the shaft being of uniform thickness throughout. The grip 5 l of leather or other suitable material is conven ionally illustrated in the drawing.

The upper end of the shank or hosel is flat quite readily attainedl n. lthereby forming with the shaft a squarefaced shoulder; On this shaft-above thel shank and in abutting relation thereto we a-iix an upwardly tapered sleeve 7 preferably of metal, aluminum being found very satisfactory for the purpose. The sleeve is shrunk on pressed or otherwise fixedly secured to the shaft so that it in effect becomes an integral part thereofin the assembled' structure and provides a. shoulder on the shaft'abutting the end of the shank. This sleeve is preferably uniformly tapered to a feather edge as illustrated.

Between the grip and the end of the hosel we cover the shaft with al coating or sheath 8. This covering embraces the sleeve and covers the joint between the sleeve and the shaft and abuts the endof the shank.- The. diameter of the sleeve at its larger llower end is suiiiciently less than that of the upper end of the shank so as to fill in the shoulder surrounding the base of the sleeve.

This outer covering is satisfactorily .formed of a pyroxylin tubing. In Fig. 3

we illustrate the method ofassembling, the

covering being` heated to permit itsl expansion, and then telescoped over the sleeve until plied by dipping, spraying or otherwise built Y up of pyroxylin or certain lacquers.

With this arrangement we are able to produce steel shaft clubs which very closely imitate the appearance of wooden shaft clubs,

1. In a golf club, the combination of a metal head provided with a hosel having a socket therein the end of the hosel lyin ina plane at right angles to its axis, a tu ular steel shaft itting and ixedly secured within said socket metal to metal, and an upwardly tapered metal sleeve immovably xed upon A said shaft metal-to metal with its lower end in spaced relation to the lower end of said shaft, the lower end of said sleeve lying vin a plane at right angles to its axis and being in supporting abuttin engagement with the end of the ho'sel, the a utting surfaces of the hosel and sleeve being of substantial extent radially.

' '2. In a golf club, the combination with a metal vhead provided with a hosel having a socket therein, of a metal shaft fitting and ixedly secured within said' socket in said hosel metal to metal, and an upwardly tapered `metal sleeve immovably fixed upon said shaft metal to metal with its lower end in spaced relation to the lower end of the shaft and in supporting abutting engagement with the end of the hosel, the abutting surfaces of the hosel and sleeve being of substantial extent radially.

i 3. In a golf club, the combination with a metal head provided with a hosel having a socket therein, of a metal shaft iitting and ixedly secured within said socket in`said hosel metal to metaland a sleeve of a metal lighter than the metal of the head tapered upwardly to a feather edge immovably xed upon said shaft metal to metal withits lower end in spaced relation with the lower end of said shaft and in supporting abutting en-rk gagement with the end of the hosel, the abutting surfaces of the hosel and sleeve being of substantial extentradially. i

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands.

CONRAD F. HARDERS. RICHARD A. LINK. 

